Category Archives: Events

Locomotivation is an established training provider based in Poole, delivering Apprenticeship and other staff development opportunities across all service-based industries.

Locomotivation have partnered with the Serco Group to deliver the Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) programme, developed to upskill employees within all businesses in Dorset. We provide recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses to enhance your employees’ skills, increase the competitiveness of your business and boost the local economy.

Businesses can select full qualifications or mix and match individual units that are directly relevant to your current training requirements. The courses range from a few hours’ training, to units of NVQ or other qualifications. Because the programme is co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), you can support your workforce at no extra cost to your business.

The Poole BID Big Clean returns for a second year to Poole town centre from Monday, April 23 until Saturday, April 28.

Poole BID is encouraging volunteers who are aged 16 and above to lend a hand in helping to give Poole town centre its annual spring clean. There are many jobs available to those who are willing to donate their time, including weeding flowerbeds, painting, throwing away litter and helping to ensure Poole is a clean and safe town to all those who visit.

Justin Hundley-Appleton, BID manager, commented: “We were so pleased with the amount of people who supported last year’s Big Clean we decided to run the event again, and we hope the community will once again come together to help give Poole a spring clean in the lead up to the summer season.

“This is a great event for friends and families to get involved with, and any professional tradespeople willing to offer their time would be most welcomed.

“We’re working really hard this year to make sure Poole stays on the map as a must-visit tourist destination. We have so much to offer and we hope local businesses will support this initiative and do their part in helping to tidy up the town.

Poole BID will be offering daily prizes for participating businesses and offering a ‘Best Spring Clean Shop Front’ award at the end of the month. There is no need to fill in any entry forms; all businesses will be included in the competition.

Poole BID has also arranged equipment for accessing hard-to-reach areas such as gutters and high level windows. Any businesses interested in using this equipment should contact info@poolebid.com for more information.

GetSet for Growth brings high quality, professional resources to your company. Our finance and marketing experts provide invaluable commercial insights and direction, drawn from first hand experience, to help you grow your bottom line.

We help you strengthen your business and marketing strategies in order to generate more money from more customers, and work with you to secure finance to invest in your growth.

Our service has already supported over 5,200 businesses across the UK that are looking to grow, who collectively turnover £1.5 billion. This support is available to you in East Dorset thanks to funding from the European Regional Development Fund and partners.

The Dorset Business Growth Partnership is designed to help any Dorset county-based SME become more competitive. Dedicated strands of activity will include pre-start and start-up support, improving companies’ digital capabilities, management and leadership skills and scope for internationalisation. Access to finance will be delivered through grants and loans alongside advice, mentoring, training and events. The three-year SME Competitiveness programme to be run until March 2020, funded by the European Regional Development Fund, is led by WSX Enterprise and the Dorset Growth Hub with a range of support partners.

We at Poole Business Savings team, are starting a waste initiative, which aims to implement a single waste disposal scheme across the BID. The focus is to achieve impressive cost and environmental benefits. Currently there are more than a dozen waste collectors operating across the BID community. BID members are experiencing various levels of service and paying different costs.

The first stage of the process is to assess what the current situation is across all businesses.

Please take a few minutes to complete the following short survey, which will help us ascertain your needs and enable us to put together the best waste and recycling scheme possible.

Showing the town in a completely new light, the first Light Up Poole festival of light art will completely transform the High Street from Falklands Square to the Quay.

From 15 to 17 February 2018 the town centre after dark will provide the dramatic backdrop to a series of light art and digital installations designed to inspire, delight and enchant locals and visitors alike. International and local artists, many of them working in collaboration with Poole schools and arts organisations, have been given a platform to showcase their often ground breaking work in a celebration of Poole’s cultural diversity, rich heritage and unique location.

“We’ve chosen theme of Identity and challenged digital artists, architects and lighting designers to reinvent themselves and consider the town as their main inspiration,” says Libby Battaglia of festival directors Audacious.

“Light Up Poole will show how something as simple as light can completely transform a place you think you know. It’s warm, it’s safe, people are drawn by it to come together and share the experience.

“It is a great opportunity for the people of Poole to really celebrate its growing reputation as a destination for artistic excellence, cultural learning and innovative collaborations between business and the arts.”

Light Up Poole will see the town centre divided into 11 zones from Lighthouse, through Falkland Square, down the High Street to the Old Town, Poole Museum and Quay Amusements each showcasing a new artwork and interactive installations.

Among the many highlights are:

:: Submergence – An immersive, responsive, walk-through experience created by Squidsoup, the international group of artists, researchers, technologists and designers. It uses more than 5,000 individual points of controlled light to create feelings of presence and movement within physical space. The installation transforms space into a hybrid environment where virtual and physical worlds coincide. A semi-linear 12-minute piece that forms an abstract with a gradual increase in tension, building to a final climax, each movement has its own elements, atmosphere and responsiveness that are open to interpretation.

:: The Squirrel – a digital art installation by Sober Industries to highlight the extinction plight of Brownsea Island’s famous resident colony of red squirrels. The Squirrel was commissioned by Quays Culture as part of the Unnatural Borders art event exploring the interaction between mankind and the animal world.

:: Arbour – a new work by multi-media artist Mark Parry who works with cross-art combinations of light, film, digital video and photography to convey meaning through evocative and emotive imagery and sound.

:: Amuzo – the award-winning, Bournemouth-based team of game and App developers whose creations have been played more than two billion times and topped the App Store in more than 150 countries launch their new smartphone game, Flo, at Light Up Poole.

:: Café Conversations – informal chats in cafes and other town centre venues to share new ways of thinking differently about creativity, the arts and expression.

A key element of the first Light Up Poole festival is the emphasis on creating new learning opportunities.

:: Sounds of Poole – an inspirational learning project focussing on music technology and devised by SoundStorm, Bournemouth and Poole’s music education hub. Sound artist Jon Adams is working with pupils from Poole schools to record sounds of the town and incorporate them in an illuminated soundscape album that will be played at the Fish Shambles on the Quay during the festival.

:: ArtfulScribe poetry agency is running a film poetry weekend workshop at Poole Museum on 13 and 14 January with photographic artist Helen Dewbery and poet and filmmaker Chaucer Cameron.

:: Working in partnership with Lighthouse and Bournemouth University, Light Up Poole also has a weekend of workshops on 27 and 28 January aimed at young people aged 16-21 who want to sharpen their vlog-making skills.

The festival will also provide Poole with its first look at some new art forms:

:: Poets and filmmakers are being invited to enter the Film Poetry competition with £500 for the winning title and the shortlisted films projected on the wall of Poole Museum.

:: Projection Mapping, Projection Bombing – Bournemouth University alumni Ashley Wilkie uses spatial augmented reality technology to turn buildings, objects even whole landscapes into display surfaces for his digital art and light graffiti laser tags. This will be Poole as it has never been seen before.

Light Up Poole is the first in a number of headline events planned for 2018 to celebrate the 40th birthday of Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts.

Phil Gibby, South-West director for Arts Council England, says: “We’re delighted to support Audacious through our National Lottery-funded Grants for the Arts programme. This award supports Audacious to develop local, national and international talent by showcasing artists through Light Up Poole events.

“Emerging digital technologies will be used to create interactive public spectacles in the town centre aiming to challenge perceptions and allow more people to experience and be inspired by great art and culture.”

Light Up Poole is presented by Audacious community interest company with the support of lead partner and sponsor Poole BID and Arts Council England and in partnership with Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, and Bournemouth University, as well as Poole Borough Council, SoundStorm music education agency and ArtfulScribe, which finds, develops and promotes new and emerging writers and audiences for live literature.

Poole BID and Borough of Poole has announced the winner of Poole’s Small Business Saturday ‘Seek out Santa’ competition. Throughout December ‘Seek out Santa’ Trail finders have been busy exploring local small shops and brands in Poole Town Centre, Ashley Cross, Ashley Road and Broadstone, collecting stickers in a bid to win the prize!

The lucky winner of the Christmas Hamper filled with Dorset goodness from On the Green Interiors, Ashley Cross is Max and Family of Broadstone, Dorset. Congratulations!

James Irvine, On the Green Interiors located in Ashley Cross and Les Robertson, BID Manager, Poole BID picking the winning entry

James Irvine, Co-owner of On the Green Interiors said: “We’ve been delighted with the response to the ‘Seek out Santa’ Trail as part of Small Business Saturday. It’s been great to be part of an initiative that highlights local independent brands and shops across Poole and encourages families to explore and chance upon new shops!”

Les Robertson, BID Manager, Poole BID said “Shopping locally is a way of supporting the people who live around you. By shopping, eating and drinking at a local small business, you are helping boost the local economy. Small Business Saturday and the festive activities around Christmas are a key part of our plans to create awareness of what’s on offer in Poole and encourage shoppers into the shops all year round.”

Adrian Trevett, Economic Development Manager, Borough of Poole, added: “Small businesses are vital for the economy of Poole and account for over 95% of our companies. We should all do what we can to support them and this really means spend our money with them!”

As part of Poole’s Christmas Extravaganza, you are invited to find 6 wreaths cleverly hidden in shops in the town centre. Each wreath has a letter that will make a seasonal word and you’ll find some clues on the entry form to help along the way! The top prize is £100 worth of vouchers from The Entertainer, so get hunting and support your local shops this Christmas!

Click the picture to download your entry form!

Entries must be received by post to: Poole BID, 175a High Street, Poole, BH15 1ZT or emailed to: info@poolebid.com by 24th December 2017.

Santa Claus is coming to town and he will be leading a procession through Poole on his Christmas train, arriving first at Poole Quay by City Cruise, on Sunday, December 3 at 11.00am.

In partnership with Poole BID, Santa’s Procession is one part of Poole’s Christmas Extravaganza, taking place throughout Poole on Thursday, November 30 until Sunday, December 3. Joined by the Mayor of Poole, Councillor Lindsay Wilson and the stars of the Lighthouse’s panto performance of Cinderella, including presenter Peter Duncan, the procession will start at Poole Quay. The procession will then move towards Old Orchard and then parade through the High Street to Falkland Square.

Also joining the procession are the Poole Sea Cadets, Shining Bright Like a Star performers, Dolphin Marching Band, Bournemouth Carnival Band and Children’s Christmas Fancy Dress Competition entrants. To enter, please arrive at Poole Quay by 10:30am to be a part of the event.

On Sunday, December 3 there will also be live entertainment across three stages, the Christmas Market will be open on Poole Quay from 10am until 4pm and the Winter Bar will be serving warming refreshments from 11am until 6pm.

Les Robertson, Poole BID manager, added: “We’re all very excited about the arrival of the star of this year’s Christmas Extravaganza, Santa Claus, who will be making quite the entrance on Poole Quay, and then leading a fun, interactive procession up Poole High Street. This event will be enjoyable for all the family and we encourage little ones to dress-up for the chance to win our Children’s Christmas Fancy Dress competition, judged by The Mayor of Poole, Councillor Lindsay Wilson.

“There is something for everyone at this year’s Poole Christmas Extravaganza, but the Santa Procession is sure to be a fun time for all.”

Other seasonal activities and festive competitions with great prizes to be won, also organised by Poole BID, will take place throughout December. Poole’s Christmas Extravaganza will be held over four days starting on Thursday, November 30.

For further information about Poole’s Christmas Extravaganza and to see a full list of entertainment visit: www.poolebid.com/news-events/ or follow Poole BID on social media for live updates.

Poole’s Christmas Extravaganza brings four days of musical entertainment across three stages, starting on Thursday, November 30 until Sunday, December 3.

There’s entertainment galore planned for this year’s Poole Christmas Extravaganza, including three stages of live musical performances taking place in Falkland Square, in Poole High Street, and Poole Quay.

Spread over four days, performances by The Little Chix, the Rising Voices Choir, Alice & The Hounds, Xyander and the Keys, a Katy Perry tribute, Matt Black, In the Mix Duo, among others, will take place across the three locations in Poole. As well as musical entertainment, over the weekend award-winning children’s entertainer Jamie Jigsaw and other children’s entertainment will be on offer throughout the town.

Les Robertson, Poole BID manager, said: “This year we have organised an array of musical acts to suit all who join us at Poole’s Christmas Extravaganza. We have some great performances planned from our Little Mix and Katy Perry tribute acts, as well as some original bands, and the Rising Voices Choir has an exciting festive performance planned for us on Poole Quay.”

Other seasonal activities and festive competitions with fantastic prizes to be won, also organised by Poole BID, will take place throughout December, but Poole’s Christmas Extravaganza will be held over four days starting on Thursday, November 30.

For further information about Poole’s Christmas Extravaganza and to see a full list of entertainment visit: www.poolebid.com/news-events/ or follow Poole BID on social media for live updates.

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